REFUGEES (PROTECTION)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what precautions he takes to ensure that refugees in this country are not subjected to intimidation by staffs of foreign embassies in the United Kingdom.

Foreign refugees in this country have the same rights as British subjects to the protection of the courts and the police. It has already been made clear that they are under no obligation whatever to entertain approaches from the staffs of foreign embassies and that they can rest assured that no foreign authority can by arbitrary action force them to leave this country. Refugees have been asked to report to the police any cases in which they think that improper pressure is being put on them and the activities of staffs of those embassies who are making approaches to them are being carefully watched.